Student dies in dormitory fire at Bahati PCEA school

Wednesday March 18 2020

A student of Bahati PCEA Secondary School in Nakuru County Nakuru gets into an ambulance at Mediheal Hospital for a check-up, following a dormitory fire on the night of January 18, 2020. PHOTO | RICHARD MAOSI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Summary

Education director Lawrence Karuntimi said the girl was pronounced dead on arrival at the county hospital following the incident on Saturday night.

Earlier, Nakuru North deputy OCPD, Mr Francis Mwangi, said the girl was the only one in the dormitory when the fire started.

The officer said all the other students at the school had been accounted for.

A Form Three student died in a dormitory fire at Bahati PCEA Secondary School in Nakuru County on Saturday night.

Education director Lawrence Karuntimi said the girl was pronounced dead on arrival at the county hospital.

Mr Karuntimi said the cause of the fire was yet to be established.

“The only thing we know is that there was a girl in the dorm, which had been closed. When the fire was put out and the dorm opened, it was found that she was overwhelmed by the smoke. Investigators are gathering more information," he said.

“The scene was processed today. A team from the public works department will do its assessment tomorrow and [report on whether] the place can be inhabited. They will look at the structure and advise us."

POLICE REPORT

Earlier, Nakuru North deputy divisional police commander Francis Mwangi said the girl was the only one in the dormitory when the fire started.

“The dorm had been locked from outside but the girl was left inside ... It is a puzzle we are unravelling," Mr Mwangi said.

"She inhaled a lot of carbon monoxide and was taken to Bahati district hospital but was referred to Nakuru Level Five Hospital. She had no burns on her body, which means she only inhaled the smoke."

He said the school had enough extinguishers to put out the fire.

INJURIES

The officer said all the other students at the school had been accounted for.

Several were injured while trying to remove their belongings from the building.

Some were taken to the Bahati facility and others to Mediheal Hospital in Nakuru town.

"The other girls who were treated for shock and pain are stable," Mr Mwangi said.